Life to the Fullest
by Obscure-Provocateur
Summary: If life was fair, then what would it be worth living? Maybe the Simpson kids and their companions will understand seven years into the future. Constructive criticism appreciated.
1. Character Info

NOTE: This story is being edited and then reuploaded, don't be confused if it looks slightly different from the original post.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.

I accept constructive criticism. c:

Lisa Marie Simpson

Age: 15

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Parents: Homer Simpson and Marge Simpson

Siblings: Bart and Maggie

Friends: Allison, Alex, Samantha

Enemies: Sherri, Terri, Jessica

Crushes: Colin, Luke, Jesse

Hobbies: Playing saxophone, reading old novels

Lisa is just your average teenage girl. Well, an average teenage girl with an IQ of 167 and large vocabulary. Now attending high school, Lisa's gotten more popular, along with a couple of friends. Even now, she's still tormented by Sherri and Terri, but occasionally brushes it off. Becoming more like her mother, Lisa takes up some of the family duties and always tries to get them to eat vegetarian meals. Until now, her past starts haunting her and she finds her life going down the drain. But the one thing that bothers her the most: not having a boyfriend.

Bartholemew Jojo Simpson

Age: 17

Occupation: Student at NSHS, comic book organizer at Android's Dungeon

Parents: Homer Simpson and Marge Simpson

Siblings: Lisa and Maggie

Friends: Milhouse, Nelson, Ralph, Otto, Donny, Samantha

Enemies: Shelby, Principal Skinner, Sideshow Bob

Crushes: Gina, Alex, Jessica

Hobbies: Skateboarding, collecting comic books

If anyone in Springfield heard about Bart Simpson, they would immediately identify him as 'America's bad boy'. Now at 17, Bart's straightened up and is thinking about college, but everyone knows he is still mischievous at heart. His everyday role is to make sure that the Android's Dungeon is always selling more than it did back then. But even the most loveable people have their problems, which could affect his future. Meeting up with two girls from his past and falling for one now, plus having a long-lost friend show up, Bart's going to have to become an adult and make the right choices in life.

Margaret Jane Simpson

Age: 8

Occupation: Student at Old Springfield Elementary

Parents: Homer Simpson and Marge Simpson

Siblings: Bart and Lisa

Friends: Gerald, Katrina

Enemies: Rodney, Audrina

Crushes: Tomas

Hobbies: Painting, playing online games

Now an 8 year old, Maggie is glad that people can finally understand her. People often mistake her for Lisa, so she still wears her bow and has her pacifier on a chain. However, her personality is far different from Lisa's. She's outgoing, naive, and cute as a button. She's always seen with her two friends Gerald and Katrina, obsessing over the school heartthrob Tomas, or having two bullies ganging up on her for no reason. With all the problems going on with her and her family, Maggie just wants to help everyone as much as she can, but will it get her into trouble?

Homer Jay Simpson

Age: 45

Occupation: Vice President of Nuclear Power Plant

Parents: Abe and Mona Simpson

Wife: Marge Simpson

Children: Bart, Lisa, and Maggie

Friends: Lenny, Carl, Moe, Barney

Enemies: Frank Grimes (deceased), Mr. Burns

Hobbies: Drinking beer, hanging out at Moe's

Not much is different about Homer except that he's lost a few pounds and has more hair. After Burns retired along with Smithers, the plant has a new owner named John Stoolwell, who gets along with Homer. Everyone knows Homer's not perfect, but is there something that he's hiding that could hurt his relationship with his wife?

Marjorie "Marge" Simpson

Age: 42

Occupation: Homemaker

Parents: Clancy and Jacqueline Bouvier

Siblings: Patty and Selma

Husband: Homer

Children: Bart, Lisa, and Maggie

Friends: Manjula

Enemies: Helen, Mindy, Lurleen

Hobbies: Cleaning, painting, taking care of her family

Marge is still the same pushy and patient mother everyone knows and loves. With Bart leaving the nest soon, she tries her best to spend time with all of her children. Being very protective of her husband, she makes sure any woman with eyes for Homer turns the other cheek. But Homer might have had enough of this attitude for once.

Jessica Lovejoy

Age: 17

Occupation: Student at Tesla's School for Girls

Parents: Timothy and Helen Lovejoy

Friends: Sherri, Terri

Enemies: Lisa, Gina, Alex, Allison

Crushes: Bart

Hobbies: Breaking cars with bats, causing mischief

After spending 7 years at a boarding school, her father's finally decided to let her spend her last year in Springfield. Of course, she doesn't get a warm welcome after the incident 7 years ago that caused everyone to think of her as "the devil's daughter". Her mistakes made her change her attitude and learn to appreciate everything around her. Will this be enough for the Simpsons, especially Bart, to forgive her?

Milhouse Van Houten

Age: 17

Occupation: Student at NSHS, Kwik-E-Mart employee

Parents: Kirk and Luanne Van Houten

Friends: Bart, Nelson, Donny

Enemies: Martin

Crushes: Lisa, Samantha

Hobbies: Playing the bass, controlling his asthma

The wiener kid we all know has finally grown up to be less gullible and naive. The only thing that hasn't escaped him is his undying love for Lisa. Fate turns when he meets his elementary school sweetheart Samantha Stanky. The feelings that he had locked away now come to roost, but is it stronger than his thoughts of Lisa?

Allison Taylor

Age: 14

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Parents: Wesley and Judith Taylor

Friends: Lisa, Alex, Samantha

Enemies: Sherri, Terri

Crushes: Donny

Hobbies: Playing the saxophone, reading

Allison and Lisa may have had a bit of a rocky relationship in the beginning, but now they're the best of friends. Most of the time you'll see them together playing the sax like there's no tomorrow. Everyone thinks of her as a good straight-A student who works hard and is always cheerful. But what will happen when she starts falling for a bonafide bad boy?

Alex Whitney

Age: 15

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Parents: Chester and Lenore Whitney

Friends: Lisa, Allison, Samantha

Enemies: Jessica, Gina

Crushes: Bart

Hobbies: Shopping, talking on the phone

If there are two things Alex can't live without, it's her cell phone and credit cards. She's still aiming to be a fashion designer when she gets out of college. Although, under that shining exterior hides a girl with a traumatic past. Her secrets might be eating her up enough to end it all. Can anyone try to keep her from taking things a bit too far?

Samantha Stankey

Age: 17

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Parents: Stanley Stanky

Friends: Bart, Lisa, Allison, Alex

Enemies: Jessica, Gina, Nelson

Crushes: Milhouse

Hobbies: Reading the bible, playing with her pets

After a couple of years at an all girl's school, Samantha's father let her go to New Springfield High School. Despite Bart breaking her and Milhouse up, she easily forgives him. Though not aware back then, Samantha realizes she's not the only one Milhouse has an eye on. But more importantly, does she still feel the same about him?

Nelson Muntz

Age: 19

Occupation: Student at NSHS, weapons distributor at Herman's Military Antiques

Friends: Bart, Milhouse, Donny

Enemies: Dolph, Jimbo, Kearney

Crushes: Lisa

Hobbies: Loitering, bullying kids

It's practically a miracle that the Muntz boy is about to graduate with the rest of his classmates, years of skipping class and causing trouble don't exactly spell hard work. Either way, he can't wait to leave so he can work full-time and start supporting himself and his alcoholic mother. Is it really going to be that easy, though?

Gina Vendetti

Age: 17

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Parents: Isaac and Carol Grant

Friends: Donny, Maggie

Enemies: Jessica, Alex

Crushes: Bart

Hobbies: Being on the run, baseball

No one really knows what happened to Gina after her little stint with Bart and juvie. The only thing that she's memorable for is her fiery temper and tendency to make anyone her bitch. When she shows up back in Springfield, the Simpsons are happy to know she's finally got a family who loves her. Bart however, won't rest until he finds out what she's been doing these past 7 years.

Donny Oswell

Age: 18

Occupation: Youth boxer, student at NSHS

Friends: Bart, Nelson, Milhouse

Enemies: Principal Skinner

Crushes: Gina, Allison

Hobbies: Boxing, causing mischief

After leaving Springfield for unknown reasons, Donny comes back to make up his final school year. Bart wastes no time with hanging out with him and making up for lost time. Surprisingly, all the girls at school remember him and have their eyes on him. He is already in a relationship, but notices the only girl who doesn't fall for him. He's going to have to show his sweet side in order to win her heart.

Colin

Age: 15

Occupation: Student at NSHS

Friends: Bart, Allison, Alex, Donny

Enemies: Milhouse

Crushes: Lisa

Hobbies: Playing the guitar, drums, bass, piano, trumpet

Ever since the dome disaster seven years ago, Lisa and Colin have been stuck together like glue. Ok, that's a lie. Colin moved back to Ireland after the incident and returned last year but with a girlfriend. Despite their rocky relationship, he's going to try and win her back. What will happen when he finds out that he's not the only one vying for her attention?

Jesse Grass

Age: 20

Occupation: Junior at Springfield University, environmentalist

Friends: Laura, Luke

Enemies: Donny, Bart

Hobbies: Gardening, sharing his moral outrage

Jesse isn't getting into as much trouble as before, but his thoughts on the environment are still as strong as ever. He's had a couple of girlfriends, but most of them only want him for his hunkiness. Although, he still thinks about the little girl who went to great lengths to win his love. Even though deep down she knows it won't work out because of their age, but what are his views on it?

Luke Stetson

Age: 19

Occupation: Cattle wrangler, sophomore at Springfield University

Sister: Clara

Friends: Jesse, Laura

Enemies: Milhouse

Hobbies: Taking care of horses, running the Lazy I Ranch

Trying to make the Lazy I Ranch a place of less cruelty to animals, Luke visits Springfield to give a lecture to the local high school. There he meets Lisa and remembers the events that made him break up with her. He apologizes, hoping she won't resent him for his cold words. All he has to wait for is her reaction and answer.

The characters here aren't all main characters, but have an important part in the story. It would be wise of you to read up on them and see their backstories before reading.

Thank you! x


	2. Ready or Not, Here We Go

**NOTE: This story is being edited and then reuploaded, don't be confused if it looks slightly different from the original post.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

'Alright, shut up already.'

Slamming her fist on the alarm clock, Lisa sat up groggily. Just by looking at her, you could tell she didn't have a good night's sleep. Her long, blonde hair was matted, her eyes were half closed, and a small hint of dried drool was on her lower lip. Carelessly wiping it away, she decided to get ready. Going into the bathroom that she still shared with her siblings, she did her normal morning routine.

Out of nowhere, a rather funky beat started playing from down the hall._'_Ugh, godammit Bart.' Lisa's actions were interrupted as she heard 'Smooth Criminal' being blasted from the hallway.

"BART! Turn that crap down!" shouted Homer. "Aw, come on man, this is the best part!" "Unless it's about how annoying you damn kids are, then turn it down!" _Click._

'That's more like it. Only two more years and I'm out of here.'

Woken up by her brother's music and father's shouting, Lisa gave herself a quick onceover. Her long hair was swept into a low ponytail that hung over her shoulder with her treasured pearls, yet it was teased at the top. As for her attire, she had a red and pink dress shirt that was cut at the high waist of her light skinny jeans, orchid-colored leggings that covered her shins and dark brown flats.

'Good enough.' She grinned to herself before running down the stairs to the smell of pancakes. Even though Lisa wasn't always too confident with her appearance, she felt like she should make a good impression to students. In elementary, she was usually ridiculed by the other kids and as for freshman year, well…let's just say Jell-O covered Fridays and leave it at that.

"Mornin' sis!"

Wrapped around her waist was the arms of her little sister Maggie, who was excited to be starting third grade today. "Maggie, let go of your sister and finish your food. The bus will be here in less than ten minutes", scolded Marge, who was setting two extra plates of pancakes down.

The young Simpson pouted and crossed her arms. "I'm not even that hungry Mom, jeez!" "Yes, but I don't want any calls from school saying that you passed out in class." Marge's complaint worked on her daughter, she could be kind of scary when she was waving a spatula around with her hand on her hip. Maggie gulped, "Yes m'am" before sitting down at her usual spot. Lisa chuckled and gave her sister a wink and was blessed with an eye-roll.

"Gooood morning family!" greeted Homer as he entered the kitchen.

Kissing him on the cheek, Marge replied, "Morning Homie. Your bacon and eggs will be ready soon, okay?"

"Mm, bacon and eggs…" Homer's appetite was furthered by the drool spilling out of his mouth.

Lisa sighed and wondered how she could have a caring yet unusual family. Over the years, things had been going surprisingly well for Marge and Homer. Their finances had gone up ever since Homer was promoted to vice president by his new boss, Mr. John Stoolwell, the polar opposite of Mr. Burns. He was a nice, selfless man who did everything to motivate his employees. This caused Homer to become happier and less stressed, leading him to pick up exercising, much to everyone's disbelief at the time. He still had a little flab to him, but he wasn't overweight anymore. Less stress also made his hair grow back, which Marge secretly enjoyed, leading to some unmentionable things to go on at night in their bedroom.

The Simpson matriarch decided to spoil herself and used some of the money to give herself a makeover. With feathered bangs, pearl earrings, and a modified version of her green dress, she could have passed for a young lady and not a woman with three kids who's been married for nearly twenty years. Seeing her now would be a big slap in the face to anyone who told her she wouldn't get anywhere in life.

A tall, young man with spiky, long blond hair entered the room, bobbing his head to Nirvana blasting from his headphones. "Hey dudes, what's for breakfast?" Bart asked.

"Well, _dude,_ if you must know, we're having pancakes, but there aren't any reserved for you", taunted Lisa. The oldest Simpson scowled. "Ha-ha, very funny Lise." The two exchanged smirks before they sat to enjoy their breakfast.

_Honk honk!_

"Oh crap, there's the bus", shouted Bart, attempting to grab his drawstring bag which had nothing more than a notebook with a few pages missing, a chewed-up pencil, and his wallet. He didn't really have much time to prepare for the first day back.

"Come on Bart, we're gonna be late!" Lisa then slid on her bag and tugged Bart to the bus. "Hey guys, waiiiit!" The two teens turned to see Maggie running out with her lunch box, jacket, and bag jumbled in her tiny arms. Luckily, she managed to get on her own bus before the doors closed.

The high school bus doors opened, causing the two teens to see Otto driving it. "Hey dudes! I'll be driving for the rest of the year, so I hope you can hold your breakfast!" Lisa grimaced at the thought of half-digested cereal being thrown up by some other kid.

Bart turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile. "Relax Lise. Just get a seat in the back and you won't have to worry about being covered with husky sick." She scowled. "Gee, thanks for the advice."

As they got on the bus and drove off, Lisa thought to herself about the new school year she was going to be starting. 'Hmph, let's just hope for the best and no drama.'

~•~•~•~

**Okay, as I said, the story's being edited. My reasoning is that this was first written about four years ago, in which my writing style has changed a bit. I'd like to fix my chapters so they fit more with my current style and make more sense. I apologize for being on hiatus without explanation, these last couple of years have been trying on my energy, but I hope to get back on this story and continue. Thanks to everyone who still reads this and leaves reviews, love you! :* x**


	3. With Friends Like These

**NOTE: This story is being edited and then reuploaded, don't be confused if it looks slightly different from the original post.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

"They are seriously trying too hard."

Bart stared with a bewildered look on his face while his sister gave an exasperated gaze to the large sign on the brown-bricked building.

'_New Springfield High School'_

"If they honestly think putting 'new' in front of the original name is going to get them more students, then the school board must be licking toads", vented Lisa.

Bart turned and looked at the other buses that pulled in front of the school. "Well, it must be working because it seems like we have a bunch of fresh meat." The younger Simpson shook her head and pulled her brother towards the steps. "Let's just pray to Buddha there won't be any crowded classrooms or synthetic meat left for lunch."

Bart cackled at the thought of trying a couple of tricks out on some new kids. He may have straightened up, but he could still be a bit of a hell-raiser when he knew he could get away with it.

The two siblings walked into the school and were greeted with the burst of pine-scented air and nonstop chatter. New Springfield High School (which was abbreviated by everyone to NSHS) looked somewhat like Springfield Elementary except it was cleaner, had undented lockers and enough room for a couple of extra bathrooms and chemistry labs (courtesy of Martin Prince, class president). Signs were hung up on the walls listing the homerooms for the students.

They studied the sheets of paper until they found their names listed, one with 213 and the other with 407.

Before the duo walked off to their respective rooms, Lisa turned to Bart and roughly placed her hands on his shoulders. "Bart, we'll be apart for seven hours or more. If I hear anything from anyone about a 'blonde sundae', I swear, I will make sure you get-"

The taller blond cut her off by grabbing her and giving her a noogie, which only made her frustrated. "Lise, I won't say anything alright? If I slip anything out by accident, I'll let you tie me upside down from the flag pole with Spice Girls on full blast 'kay?" Bart chuckled and let her go; grinning even wider when he saw the pout she had on her face from seeing her mussed up hair. Lisa brushed her hair down and started down the hallway, calling back, "Thanks for giving me a new idea on how to torture you when you screw up!" His smile faded as he saw the devilish smirk on her face before she turned back around.

'Nice going Bart, you just set your own death sentence.'

~•~•~•~

After walking and turning corners for almost three minutes, Lisa finally found her homeroom. It was almost fully packed except for the delinquents who didn't give a damn if they were late for the first day. 'Things never change.'

Finding a seat was always tricky for the young girl. If she tried to ask to borrow a chair, a sharp glare would be received. If she tried to sit near someone, her chair would be dragged from the desk. And tripping was just an everyday thing for her.

Tapping a boy's shoulder, he turned and looked at her with a slightly surprised look. "Um, excuse me...c-can I borrow that chair next to you?" asked Lisa with a nervous voice. "Oh sure, here." The boy dragged the chair over to give to her.

"Thank you." "No prob", he replied with a small smile.

Lisa flushed slightly and walked away with the chair. Being given a chair without a sneer or nasty attitude was like finding out she got accepted into Yale. As she was about to move to the back corner, she spotted a pouting redhead and a blonde with ridiculously-large heels sitting near the window. Smiling, she nearly ran over to the two girls who looked like they were in a playful yet heated argument.

"And that's why they should build a boutique here!"

"But Alex, the school's not going to build something that only you would use!"

"DMY Allie, I'll just bring some of my old friends from Hawthorne Heights."

Allison gave a frustrated sigh and continued on. "Look, if they were going to build a boutique here, then it would officially be campus property. So if anyone who is a student at another school or not part of the school tried to shop here, then that would officially be trespassing. In conclusion, you would be putting your friends in trouble for no reason!" Alex crossed her arms and stuck her lip out, pretending to be mad. "Geez, talk about being a wet blanket, Taylor."

"Yeah Allison, you suck the fun out of everything more than me."

The two girls jumped up and gave the Simpson girl a bone-crushing hug. Alex grinned at her friend, baring her perfect teeth. "Lisa, how are you? Have you lost some weight?" The blonde rolled her eyes and gave Alex a play punch in the arm.

"Yes Ms. Fitness Instructor, I followed your stupid diet to get you to shut up for once." The young fashionista mocked a gasp and gave her a distressed look. Allison giggled at her friend's dramatic reaction. "Yeah Alex, you do tend to run your gap until you get what you want."

Alex widened her hazel eyes and stamped her feet like a toddler. "Oh my god, I can't believe my own friends are against me! I might as well die!" The giggling trio turned into a laughing riot until the teacher came in.

"Alright everyone, get your butt in a chair!" Everyone sat down and immediately became quiet, including the now red-faced girls.

'Heh, I don't think this year is going to be so bad!'

~•~•~•~

Seeing as how most of the new kids were seniors, everyone had to go to the cafeteria. There were too many of them for the classrooms, leaving the teachers to see which kids would have to be stuck in the gym for the day. Bart scanned the large room to look for some familiar faces and empty seats. Spotting a boy with blue hair fiddling with his inhaler, he walked over and smacked him on the back.

"Hey Milhouse, still got weak air bags?" The young boy coughed loudly and fixed his thick red glasses.

"Bart, quit doing that! You know I can't breathe well in the first place!" The blond rolled his eyes and took a seat next to his friend. "Milly, Milly, Milly. If you didn't want me to smack you, speak up next time!"

The two teens stopped their arguing as a tall young man with ragged brown hair stood in front of them, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "Hey dorks, I suggest you keep it down or you'll be even more eyesores for the teachers."

Bart simply rolled his eyes and spoke up. "Yeah, like I really give a damn about those arrogant bastards and their lackeys. Besides Nelson, you of all people shouldn't be scolding me." Nelson's glare turned into a look of frustration as he glanced to where a group of teachers were talking.

"Trust me, this is the last thing I want to do, but friggin' Melbaum will get on my ass if I don't do…_voluntary_ work", he finished with a grimace.

Bart simply shrugged. "Hey man, you gotta do what you gotta do." A few minutes later, everyone was lining up to go into their homeroom. Milhouse and Bart were in the same class as well as Nelson, but he was asked by their principal to monitor the halls.

"Hey Bart, do you think if I dyed my hair black, Lisa would go out with me?" asked Milhouse. The Simpson boy simply sighed and gave his friend a light shove up the stairs.

"I'm going to say it for the sixty-third time man. It ain't gonna happen."

~•~•~•~

**Okay, as I said, the story's being edited. My reasoning is that this was first written about four years ago, in which my writing style has changed a bit. I'd like to fix my chapters so they fit more with my current style and make more sense. I apologize for being on hiatus without explanation, these last couple of years have been trying on my energy, but I hope to get back on this story and continue. Thanks to everyone who still reads this and leaves reviews, love you! :* x**


	4. Welcome Back

**NOTE: This story is being edited and then reuploaded, don't be confused if it looks slightly different from the original post.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**This chapter is a bit different from the other ones, being in first person instead of third.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

Wringing my hands together, I looked at the multicolored buildings as our old blue Camry drove down the one-way road. Things had really changed in seven years. The only thing that really stayed the same was the townspeople's attitude, especially towards me. I can't really blame them for acting that way.

What I did was despicable and just thinking about it made me want hurt myself.

"Hon, are you alright?"

A strong yet caring voice interrupted my thoughts and I turned to the source. "Yeah dad, I'm just thinking a little about school," I lied. He smiled, wrinkling his face up more. "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm sure you'll be fine. If you don't feel comfortable there, I could just send you back to boarding school."

I grimaced and fully turned towards my dad. "I said that I was nervous about this school, not that I miss St. Tesla's, honestly." He simply laughed and grinned even more. I couldn't help but smile back as well.

Despite what he does for his everyday job, my father was actually a caring man. His slightly graying black hair and dull brown eyes may have added to his cold demeanor, but hey, what the hell do people know?

My thoughts stopped immediately as I felt the car jerk to a stop. "Well, we're here."

I looked out the window to see a large brown building with a rather noticeable sign on top. It read 'New Springfield High School' in dull gold letters. 'Well, at least something here is worth noticing.'

As I stepped out of the car, I heard my dad quickly call out. "Hon, are you sure you'll be fine? I could just call and reschedule your first day-" "Dad, Dad! I swear I'm alright. Don't freak out on me. Besides…I'm getting older and everyday I'm just going to have to face the music and not block it out."

He simply smiled and reached over to pat my hand. "You've really made a change for the better. It makes me proud to think that seven years away from this town turned you into a shining example of the perfect daughter."

My heart lurched at his unknowingly rude statement. If he hated this town so much, why didn't he just have us move years ago? I wouldn't have to be putting up with all this crap then. Springfield wasn't really what caused me to be a complete witch, but I dared not to tell my religious father the real reason why.

Forcing a smile onto my face, I responded. "Well, I guess I better go." "Take care then." He then drove away leaving behind a clanking echo and a cloud of exhaust fumes.

Sighing, I forced my feet to move towards the stairs of the brick building. Seeing the interior for the first time, I had the look of a starving dog after seeing a piece of steak. It was considerably different than the plush interior of St. Tesla's. The walls were smooth, green concrete instead of the expensive cream-colored wallpaper I was used to seeing every day and the floor covered not with velvet red carpet, but light blue tiles. Another sight that I missed was metal lockers, small water fountains, and normal fluorescent lighting instead of glass chandeliers.

I got a couple of stares as I walked along the hallway and up the stairs to my assigned class. They were a mixture of shock, hate, and mostly wariness. I guess people still remember my face despite my somewhat different appearance.

Avoiding eye contact with every person that walked by, I managed to make it to the room listed on my schedule. Finding the room was the last thing I wanted to do, having everyone's steely gaze on me was the last thing I wanted to see. My heart just knows that's what will happen.

'_Room 407'_

Twisting my now hip-length black hair nervously, I decided to finally face my fears. Sighing, I reached for the cold, metal doorknob and twisted.

~•~•~•~

**Okay, as I said, the story's being edited. My reasoning is that this was first written about four years ago, in which my writing style has changed a bit. I'd like to fix my chapters so they fit more with my current style and make more sense. I apologize for being on hiatus without explanation, these last couple of years have been trying on my energy, but I hope to get back on this story and continue. Thanks to everyone who still reads this and leaves reviews, love you! :* x**


	5. Hope It Gives You Hell

**NOTE: This story is being edited and then reuploaded, don't be confused if it looks slightly different from the original post.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

'God, they think that just because we're seniors we have to be on the fourth floor.'

Forcing myself to lift my foot once again, I finally reached the designated floor. Despite having a toned body and light backpack, going up three flights of stairs wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Looking over at Milhouse, I could see him slightly sweating and fishing around in his bag for his inhaler.

'Geez, you'd think he would've manned up a bit by now.' Smacking him on his back, I enjoyed small humor as he nearly dropped his inhaler.

"Come on Milhouse! If you can fall off cliffs, survive from allergies and get away from dog attacks, surely you can make it up some stairs!"

My blue- haired friend glared at me as he stopped on the gray steps.

"Well look who's talking, jackhole. I guess that body's only useful for being a chick magnet, huh?" My eyes became wide as dinner plates from his smirk and comment.

'Ooh, you just opened yourself up there, Van Houten.'

I let out my breath and lifted my hand, resting it over my heart. "Why Milhouse, I had no idea you felt that way about me! I guess that whole Lisa thing was a ruse, eh?"

"Er-"

I grabbed his arm playfully. "Oh, this is going to be _faaaabulous_!" Man, was I good at impressions. "Honey, you must tell me _everything and anything_! We can go down to the village, buy some scones, ogle the A&F catalogues, and get drunk off of fuzzy navels!"

Milhouse looked disgusted by my little outburst and pushed me away hard. "Come on Bart, don't get fruity on me. You wanna do that? Go to Smithers, that should be fun."

We couldn't hold in our excitement as we burst out into laughter, sounding like a couple of hyenas. Of course people were staring at us, but did we give a damn?

"SIMPSON! VAN HOUTEN!"

Had that person's voice been any louder, we surely would've fallen to our deaths. Both of us jumped and gripped onto the rails for dear life. I didn't even need to look up to know who that raspy voice belonged to.

"What is it, Melbaum? Is your hearing aid too loud?" I drawled. Milhouse grabbed my arm and hissed at me. "Bart!"

The man snorted. "You know Simpson. Of the years you've been here, my life has been a living hell. Now I understand what Seymour was talking about. Poor guy."

Ah, old Skinny boy. I wonder how he's doing nowadays. The last time I saw him was in my last year of elementary school. My well-thought out plan of filling his car with mayo, nearly burning his documents and theft of toy soldiers sent him to the loony bin for good. The guilt from my prank carried on my shoulders back then along with a heavy grounding sentence, courtesy of Homer and Marge. Luckily, Mrs. Krabappel managed to save him. Yes, you remember her right? My old flirt of a teacher? Well, nowadays you can call her Mrs. Edna Skinner. She gave him a visit one day and in what must have been for the sixth time, he quietly proposed to her in a last desperate attempt. To the shock of everyone, she accepted with a straight face. They got married two months after; the time between in which she found out they would be having a kid. Ever since then, they've moved out of Springfield and are living who knows where. To be honest, I kind of miss them. They looked like saints compared to the current teachers.

I came back to the present and looked up at the judgmental face of the self-righteous principal standing above us.

"Well, I would love to stick around Mel_bum_, but we have a class to attend to. Or would you rather be stuck with us for the rest of the day?" I couldn't help but to give him a wide grin. It seemed to work as Melbaum's face turned a lovely shade of beet red and imaginary steam came out of his ears.

Milhouse grabbed my arm again, harder this time. "Bart, have you officially gone off your rocker?! Melbaum's really pissed now!"

Oh please, I've seen worse. The furious man turned to us with a stern look on his face, yet his cheeks were still flushed. "I'm warning you Simpson. It might be your last year here at New Springfield High School, but be forewarned that we've started a new system this year." He straightened up and composed himself. "Surely you gentlemen know about permanent records?" he asked us.

I turned to Milhouse and mirrored his confused look. "Yeah, what about them?" Where is he going with this?

Melbaum folded his arms behind his back, attempting to make himself look more authoritative. "Permanent records carry on throughout your entire school career, from pre-K to college. It takes note of every detention, suspension, and misdemeanor you've committed during class hours." He carried on while walking down the steps toward us, stopping on the step in front of us. "The school board decided that it would be in my- I mean- _our_ best interest to add a penalty to students with a terrible record, i.e. you and Mr. Van Houten here. We can't have a bunch of miscreants taking all the scholarships, now can we?" The chuckle that came out of his mouth along with his arrogant grin riled me up.

I gazed at my watch impatiently. "Just spit it out already, old man." "Ah yes, I'm sure a detailed explanation would be wasted on you two." Asshole. Melbaum knew that my weakness was my short fuse and the wick was running extremely short right now.

A firm hand rested on my shoulder and I looked up to see Milhouse, giving me a stern gaze. The look told me to relax and save it for another day_. _I let out a deep breath and nodded at him, thankful for his presence. Melbaum cleared his throat and continued his speech. "I will forget the interruption and continue." Oh sure, it's not like we have a class to get to.

"As I was saying, students who have the maximum number of strikes on their record will be put on the 'special watch' list."

Milhouse spoke up quietly, "W-well, what's the maximum number of strikes you can get?"

"About 10-15, depends on the severity of the act. And if you have way more than that, then you get put on the 'extra special' list." I could hear my friend tense and swallow the lump in his throat. I'll admit, I was nervous too, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing my unease.

"What are the consequences? They can't be that bad, right?"

_RIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGG._

The two of us jumped at the late bell, watching as people scrambled to get their asses to homeroom. "Oh gentleman, I'm terribly sorry, but it is class time. You should get a move on. You wouldn't want to start off the school year badly, would you?" Melbaum walked off in his high manner down the hall and called back to us. "Have an excellent first day!"

I looked down at my watch.

Ugh.

Only 7:47 and already I had a bad feeling in my stomach.

~•~•~•~

With Milhouse in tow, we made our way to our homeroom. "Hey Bart." I stopped once again and looked at him. "Yeah?" He fidgeted with his bag strap, covered with crude Sharpie doodles.

"About what Melbaum said…" I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on his shoulder. "C'mon man, forget about what that douche said. Maybe he was trying to bluff us, y'know, scare us a little?" The best I could do was bluff Milhouse, and even myself, in hopes of reassurance.

The blue-haired boy just twisted his strap tighter in his shaking hands. Typical, neurotic Milly. "Let's just get to class, alright?" He finally looked up at me. "O-okay..."

We kept walking down the nearly empty hall until we reached Room 407. I opened the door and expected to hear a shrill voice screech at us for being late. "Well, well, have we got some more familiar students or am I just seeing things?" I looked at the man leaning against the desk, grinning at us with straight, white teeth.

Un-freaking-believable.

"Mr.….Mr. Seppel, is that you?"

The man scratched his shaggy brown hair and chuckled. "Well, if you know anybody else named Jarod Marcus Seppel, I demand to sue them for identity theft!" The entire class laughed in good humor at his joke. Now I couldn't suppress my grin. I must've looked like the Cheshire cat right now. Mr. Seppel straightened up and walked over to shake my hand.

"It's nice to see you again, Bart. You too, Milhouse." Oh right, Milhouse is behind me. He looked as equally shocked, yet ecstatic to see one of our old teachers from middle school. He stuttered, "Oh s-sorry, we're late Mr. Seppel. We were having a..._friendly_ chat with the principal."

He waved his hand at the excuse and smiled. "You don't even need to excuse yourselves. Now, why don't you two take a seat and we can get class started, huh?"

We quickly took our seats in the third row, right next to each other.

Mr. Seppel walked back to his desk and resumed his leaning position. He scanned the classroom with his dark eyes and nodded. "Ah, I remember you kids. Is it just coincidence that I have the same students from seventh grade or was something rigged during the summer?" We all shared a smirk. Everybody expected to have Mrs. Weskits for the entire school year, so we gathered together one hot day in July and had somebody sneak in and hack one of the counselors' computers to change the class arrangement. Nobody wanted that crazy witch to have a moment of peace. But now that we have Mr. Seppel, it seems that all the trouble was worth it.

He saw our looks of mischief and shook his head. "Haven't changed at all, eh?"

Jaffee, a boy with shaved red hair raised his hand. "Hey Mr. Seppel, what have you been doing all this time?"

The brunet sat on the desk and replied to the question. "Well, if I tell you what I've been up to, I'll have to start from the beginning, won't I? Oh and by the way, call me Jarod, none of that formality crap. " Everyone murmured their agreement and readied their ears for a long story.

"I was born in the capital of Canada in Ottawa to Iren and Pamela Seppel. I lived there along with my scamp of a brother, George. My childhood consisted of having to study hard, just to keep my parents happy and graduate with flying colors. High school was a bad time for me, what with peer pressure and drugs surrounding me. It was like every friend I had suddenly started getting high and wanted to see how many girls they could bang in a week. During my senior year, I was so stressed and irritated that I finally turned to marijuana and other illegal substances."

The class and I were generally shocked at the trouble he had when he was our age and how off-handedly he mentioned it. Jarod chuckled and stretched his arms behind him. "Worst mistake of my life. I barely managed to graduate high school and go to college, but my freshman year was horrible. Halfway through the semester, they kicked me out for finding my drugs stuffed away under my mattress. My folks were steaming when the school called them, so I couldn't bear to face them. Instead, I came to America, hoping to make something of my failure."

Sherri timidly raised her hand. "Is that why you showed up in Springfield?"

He nodded. "I guess you could say that. I spent about eight years in various towns, teaching and working odd jobs. Then I heard about a small town named Springfield, but they weren't positive. Still, I came here and managed to get hired."

A squeaky voice burst from the front row. "Hey, wait a minute!" We all averted our gaze to Wendell, sickly and pale as ever. "You never said that you went back to college. Does that mean…?"

Jarod became serious. "Yes, I taught classes without a degree. That's why I couldn't stay in one place for too long. People would've gotten suspicious." He switched to a happier expression. "But don't worry; now I'm a certified school teacher. After I left Springfield, I went to Regent University in Virginia and got my major. Took me a while but it finally happened, all thanks to the lady in my life."

Chelsea waved her hand frantically, causing her blonde curls to bounce wildly. "Who is she?"

Jarod laughed and walked to her desk. "Now, now, last time I checked, this was school, no? So why don't we save the questions for another day?" Chelsea turned red and smiled nervously at him.

"Alright everybody! Grab your World Studies textbook and turn to page 27! Read up to page 50!"

Everyone, including me, groaned, remembering exactly why Mr. Seppel was still a teacher. Once business had to be done, he made sure it was carried out.

I read various ramblings about the Mayan civilization, trying to remember some of it. I needed-no, _wanted _to graduate from high school if it was the last thing I did. Before I knew it, I reached the end of the section and closed my book. Some people were already done and sat around, twiddling their thumbs, carving messages in to their desks or talking to each other. I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms behind my head. I closed my eyes, feeling ease take me over.

'So far, so good.'

The sound of the door opening brought me back to reality. I thought it was a teacher here to deliver something to Mr. Seppel. Boy was I wrong. A girl, tall and slender, stood in the doorway, tugging at her long raven hair with one hand and holding a crumpled schedule in the other. 'What a fox.'

"Hello miss. Can I help you?" She handed him her schedule quickly.

Mr. Seppel squinted at the crushed paper, trying to make something of it. "Ah yes, you're definitely in the right room. A little late, aren't you?"

Every other student stared at the new girl, examining her automatically. The girl blushed at the attention directed toward her.

"I-I'm sorry. I came from another state last night. I woke up a little too late."

'Whoa. Why does her voice sound familiar?' I'm getting feelings, but they weren't good ones.

"Relax; I'm just joking with you. Go ahead and take a seat there Ms…" He continued to squint at the schedule trying to make sense of the mess. "I'm sorry, I can't read this. You'll have to give me your name." She jumped as the color drained from her face. 'Man, is she jumpy or what?'

"Wh-what?"

"I need your name so I know who you are and to mark you as present."

She took a deep breath and stared straight at him.

"My…my name is...Jessica Lovejoy..."

I dropped my pencil, my mouth open wide.

'Oh dear God. Why the hell is she back?!'

My stomach twisted into knots, an ice ball formed in my throat and my face burned.

"Thank you, you can take your seat now. There's an empty one right behind Adrian." He pointed to the boy in glasses who was sweating profusely. I wondered if he felt the same as I did. Maybe he was afraid of becoming one of her victims. Jessica shuffled to her seat, keeping her gaze to the floor. Every single pair of eyes was on her, scrutinizing, hateful, and curious. I turned back to the front, unable to look at her any longer.

I hated her so much.

Yet…I was also scared of her. She was like a swan. Beautiful to look at, but always vicious and mean, never hesitating to hurt you.

If I wasn't in class right now, I definitely would've gone up to her and given her hell for showing her face around here.

"If you've finished the section, answer questions 1-3 in your notebook." Mr. Seppel's voice cut through everybody's frantic whispers. All I could do was take a deep breath and answer my own three questions.

Why is Jessica here?

Why is she so quiet?

What the hell am I going to do now?

~•~•~•~

**Okay, as I said, the story's being edited. My reasoning is that this was first written about four years ago, in which my writing style has changed a bit. I'd like to fix my chapters so they fit more with my current style and make more sense. I apologize for being on hiatus without explanation, these last couple of years have been trying on my energy, but I hope to get back on this story and continue. Thanks to everyone who still reads this and leaves reviews, love you! :* x**


	6. Go Back to the Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**So I'm back to writing this story. To be honest, I missed it quite a bit. Seeing all of your reviews, even long after I updated it, motivated me to get back to it and hopefully finish! I'll see if I can upload a new chapter each day or every other day, depending on the type of chapter I'm writing. Enjoy!**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

Switching the scene over to Old Springfield Elementary, the children's first day was not as dramatic or fast-paced, as evident by the excited shouts and the warm welcomes.

It was nearly noon, meaning that it was almost time to dismiss the kids for recess. Teachers kept an eye on their students as they drew, colored, and got to know each other before the bell rang throughout the building, startling a few of the kindergarteners into crying fits. As they were calmed down, the rest of the children ran outside to the playground, eager to get back to the activities they enjoyed during the summer.

Maggie Simpson was one of them.

As she stepped out into the fresh air, she glanced around at all the familiar and new faces. So far, she really liked third grade. It was basically the same as second grade; she couldn't see what the big deal that Bart made about it was. He even tried to give her the answers for the future tests and quizzes, but she refused, saying that Mom and Dad would be livid if they found out. It wasn't a big deal for her, anyways. She wasn't as smart as Lisa, but she knew enough to get by with average grades.

"Maggie, you dope, over here!"

Maggie gasped and looked around frantically for the source of the familiar voice. "Gerald?!"

"Oy!" She shrieked as a thick unibrow came directly in front of her vision. "Gosh, I told you not to scare me like that, idiot!" The boy laughed at her frightened face and patted her head. "But it's always fun to see you nearly pee yourself! Heh, sorry Mags. What's up?"

"Other than having to see your ugly mug, not much." "Oh wow, I was going to say that I missed you, but I guess I'll take it back."

Maggie couldn't help but giggle at his mock expression of hurt. This was how they normally interacted, due to being enemies at first. They hated each other since they were born up until first grade when Gerald stole her favorite juice box and a pack of cookies her mom had packed for her. The Simpson girl tackled him and ended up getting into a huge brawl with the boy, which had to be broken up by about three teachers. Of course their little fight ended with the two of them getting time out for recess for the rest of the week, leaving them stuck inside with each other and a teacher. On the third day, Gerald came in with an extra pack of cookies and a juice box and gave it to her as an apology. She could still remember the bashful look on his face when he mumbled that she hit good for a girl. In return, she slapped him on the arm playfully and told him to sit next to her so they could share the cookies. Since then, they've been the best of friends.

Maggie pulled him into a hug and giggled. "You know I'm just messing with you, Gerry." "I know Mags, I know. Hey, have you seen Katrina?" The girl frowned in response.

"No, not yet. Let's look for her!" The two looked around the playground, searching for the third member of their little trio. They kept this up until Gerald shouted, "There she is!" He pointed to the giant oak tree near the groundskeeper's shed where a small, mousy-looking girl was sitting.

They ran over to her at top speed, shouting her name. Katrina looked up and smiled softly at them, happy to see her friends again. "Hey guys."

Maggie and Gerald sat down next to her on the grass. "What are you doing sitting here all by yourself?" queried Gerald. "Yeah, we thought you weren't here at all, we haven't seen you all day!"

Katrina shrugged and stared off, presumably into space, as she muttered. "I just felt like it." Gerald and Maggie gave each other a puzzled look, wondering what was with their friend's offhanded response. But out of the corner of her eye, the Simpson girl caught a flash of bright pink by the monkey bars, which conveniently happened to be where Katrina was looking.

The pink turned out to belong to the tank top of a girl the same age as them, chatting with her friends and flipping her hair often. "Did Audrina make you?" The quiet girl swallowed hard and looked at her friend, nodding hesitantly. Maggie sighed and glared at the now cackling girl in pink.

Audrina was Katrina's older twin sister. You could simply look at the two and tell that they were polar opposites. Katrina preferred to wear long sweaters and pants while Audrina favored tank tops and miniskirts. Katrina had medium-length brown hair, tied back by a bow; Audrina grew her hair out to her waist and came in with a new style every day. Katrina usually kept a timid look on her face while Audrina's face exuberated sass and confidence. But with opposites came conflict. The older sibling usually teased and tormented her younger sister, in and out of school, for being as she liked to put it, 'a complete loser with no friends'. This was part of the reason for her quiet demeanor, which infuriated Maggie to no end. Ever since they became friends, she vowed to keep her protected from her sister's harsh words, along with the help of Gerald, of course.

The blonde pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey, don't worry about her. You've got us, we'll keep you safe." Gerald jumped on them and joined the hug. "Yeah! We'll teach her not to mess with our Kitty Kat!" The use of his nickname for her brought a small giggle out of the brunette. "Thanks guys, I can always count on you two."

"Hey guys!"

The trio looked up to see a boy with shaggy red hair run over, holding a rubber ball in his small hands. Maggie's little heart started beating like crazy and her face heated up as he came closer.

Tomas.

The boy that she had a huge crush on.

The boy that she thought was absolutely perfect.

The boy that she wrote stories about in her diary.

Gerald smiled and waved. "Hey Tom, what's up?"

"We're playing some kickball, you guys wanna join?" "Sure! Mags, Kat, you coming?" Katrina shook her head. "I'm not really good with sports." Tomas looked at her and smiled. "You could be the ball-getter, you won't have to do anything hard." This seemed to work as she smiled and agreed to his offer. He turned his gaze to the blushing blonde. "What about you, Mags?"

"O-oh! Well, um…I could try! My dad says I can kick pretty hard!" blurted the Simpson girl.

The redhead grinned. "Great! Let's go guys!"

So the group rushed off to join the game, Maggie glad that she was able to play with the boy she adored so much.

'Third grade, you're awesome.'

~•~•~•~

Back in NSHS, the hallways were filled with sophomores making their way to the auditorium for an assembly. Lisa was in the middle of the crowd, huddled next to Allison and Alex.

"Kind of early for an assembly, huh?" asked Alex.

The other two nodded in agreement. "Can't remember ever having an assembly on the first day of school; and at 11:30, no less!" Allison shrugged and made sure not to step on anyone's heels. "They must have a good reason, you know they wouldn't waste their time and money on something trivial."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You're right, this school district is too cheap to do that." Lisa sighed and avoided stepping on a sheet of paper. "Let's hope this won't take too long, I'd like to actually learn something in class."

Following the crowd, the girls walked into the auditorium and looked for the first available three seats together. The platinum blonde pointed to a group of chairs. "Ooh, there's a set!" Alex ran down the aisle in her platform shoes and planted her bottom in one of the chairs, much to the dismay of a boy coming from the other side. "Hey Alex, I was going for that!" She glared up at him. "There's only one of you and three of us. I see a seat up front with your name on it, next to Cosine. Goodbye Rex." The boy huffed and walked off towards the front.

The other two sat down next to their friend, attempting to get comfortable in the plastic chairs and failing. Chatter filled the large room until the sharp sound of feedback cut through, effectively silencing everyone.

"Attention! Can I have everyone's- _screech." _The sharp noise was met with cries of irritation and swears.

Principal Melbaum fiddled with the microphone. "This stupid thing- Ah! Attention! There we go." A smile plastered onto his face. "Hello sophomores and welcome. I hope you will enjoy your second year of being in our wonderful school." Snickers could subtly be heard throughout the crowd.

"I apologize for pulling you out of your classes, but the staff and I have gathered you all for an assembly that could be beneficial to your future. Before you know it, you will all be graduating and going to college. During college, you may have to get a job to make ends' meet and pay for your tuition and fees. Maybe you won't have to then, but eventually, you will be thrust into a career in order to make money and survive. Are we pressuring you to get one now? No. Are we trying to prepare you? Why yes, with a little something called an internship."

By now, students were looking at each other and muttering in confusion.

"So you all know, an internship is any official or formal program used to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession. In other words, you are being given the opportunity to train and see what a certain occupation is like before you choose it as your career choice."

His explanation was starting to make sense to the teens, whose mutters lowered down.

"Without further ado, I'd like to introduce some of the local businesses who have volunteered to offer internships to all of you."

Lisa tuned out of the introductions, thinking about her future. She was pretty sure she was going to college after high school. At the rate she was going, she would be able to grab nearly every scholarship there was to offer and go on a free ride through, hopefully, Yale University. The last thing she wanted to do was depend on her parents' money, even if they insisted. It was clear that they were going to have to pay to help Bart through college, due to his inability to grab more than a couple of scholarships. Even with his job at the Android's Dungeon, it wouldn't have been enough to even pay for one year's tuition.

This led the Simpson girl to question herself. 'Should I get an internship? I can't always assume that things will go how I want, so I should probably have a back-up plan…' She decided to tune back in to hear the important information that was being thrown out.

She couldn't have tuned in at the worst time.

"Hey y'all, my name is Luke Stetson and I'm here to talk to you guys about the Lazy I Ranch."

Lisa's jaw dropped as she felt her heart stop and her stomach twist at the name.

'Luke? _Luke?!_' Unpleasant memories started flooding Lisa's head.

Going to the Lazy I Ranch in the past was the family's way of getting away from the annoyingly popular song that Homer had made. It was Bart's suggestion, but Lisa couldn't have thought of a better place to go to for there, she met a junior wrangler by the name of Luke Stetson. She adored how he was environmental and sophisticated compared to the stereotypical cowboys at the ranch. As a result of that, she gained a crush on him. Unfortunately, a mishap resulted in Lisa mistaking his sister for his girlfriend and in her jealous state, she sent the poor girl in the wrong direction and nearly got her killed. Bart helped her save the girl, but Lisa fessed up to Luke on her misdeed and in return, got dumped by him harshly. It hurt her bad, but she felt that she deserved it for what she did. She decided to take that lesson and hold it in order to keep from repeating her mistake, but she never imagined that the same boy would waltz back into her life years later.

Applause filled the auditorium as Luke finished his presentation. He stepped back in line with the other volunteers as Principal Melbaum stepped forward to the microphone. "Thank you Mr. Stetson, and thank you to the rest of the volunteers for coming to our school today to give these student job opportunities. Now students, we have fifteen minutes until the bell rings. In this time, the volunteers are going to be handing out flyers and information about their businesses on the stage. Feel free to pick one up and have them answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your time."

Once the microphone was turned off, the chatter from before returned as kids fled to the stage or sat in their chairs talking to each other. Lisa was still reeling while Alex and Allison spoke to each other.

"Wow, this was pretty fetch of Melbaum to do! Free internships? Cha-ching!"

"Alex, you do know that we don't get paid for these, right?"

The blonde stared at her friend in shock. "What?!"

"Well, actually, it depends on the company's policy…"

"So I'll just ask them who pays the most, no biggie." Allison scowled at her in annoyance. "You're supposed to be working for experience Alex, not solely for the money. It's not like you need any, your family is rich!" The Whitney girl pouted and sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll listen to your goody-two shoes wisdom and go for the "experience"." Her statement was emphasized by making quote marks in the air with her fingers.

Allison rolled her eyes and turned to Lisa, only to notice her crestfallen expression. "Lise, you okay? You don't look so good." The Simpson girl looked up in surprise, shaking her head quickly.

Alex leaned over the redhead and whispered to her friend. "Is it that time? I've got some tampons and Aleve if you need any." "Alex!" "Oh hush, it's a valid question."

Lisa swallowed and looked them in the eyes. "I just…feel a little nauseous, that's all. It'll pass, don't worry." 'As long as I don't see him for the rest of the day…or the rest of my life.'

~•~•~•~

**At least one of the Simpson kids are enjoying their first day. :\**

**Reviews would be nice. c:**


	7. Stay Out of My Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

It was probably the best period ever in the history of high school.

Lunch time.

Once the bell rang, students grabbed their things and rushed out of their classes to head to the cafeteria or for the daring ones, to sneak off of school grounds to grab actual food. As for the students who weren't hungry, they scattered throughout the school grounds to hang out with their friends, make out with their respective boyfriends/girlfriends, or cause mischief out of boredom.

Lisa walked towards the cafeteria by herself, having told her friends to go ahead without her. She would have been with them had it not been for Mr. Ernkoz, who stopped her after class to express his gratitude for her being in his class. Turns out her reputation for being one of the smartest kids ever in the Springfield school district spread to the high school teachers and many were vying for a chance to teach the young genius. Lisa was flattered, but she managed to convince the teachers to treat her like she was a normal student. Getting targeted by your peers for being a teacher's pet wasn't exactly pleasant.

When she walked into the cafeteria, the smell of tater tots and pizza hit her in the face while the sound of noisy chatter filled her ears. Nearly every table was filled with kids who were scanning the room and calling their friends over once they found them. The blonde searched for a head of platinum blonde hair sitting next to a head of red hair. After a few seconds, she managed to spot her friends, who were conveniently facing her and having a conversation.

"Allison! Alex!"

The girls looked up at the sound of her yell and waved to their friend. Lisa pointed to one of the empty seats across from them and in return, got a thumbs up from the both of them. 'Alright, they're saving a seat for me, guess I better get my lunch.'

After getting on the line and standing for about three minutes, she reached the lunch lady. She didn't even bother to glance at Lisa, droning out the sentence that she must have said nearly a hundred times already.

"What'll it be, hon?"

"Um…do you have any vegetarian options? All I see is pepperoni pizza, burgers and hot dogs."

"What you see is what you get. Either get two orders of tater tots or tater tots and a tuna salad sandwich." Lisa wrinkled her nose in annoyance and sighed. 'Things haven't changed at all.'

"Tater tots and a sandwich please."

The lunch lady gave Lisa her tray and started serving the guy behind her. "Hello, can I have one of everything, please?" rang a thick German accent.

The Simpson girl grabbed a carton of 2% milk and a bowl of grapes before paying for her lunch and walking back out into the open space. She made a beeline towards Allison and Alex, now joined by a group of girls, one with light red hair, one with a blonde ponytail, and the other with her brunette hair in two pigtail braids. The blonde spotted Lisa and grinned at her.

"Hey Lise!" She removed her purple backpack that was laying in the seat reserved for Lisa. "Sorry, wanted to make sure no one took your seat." The Simpson girl smiled and sat down with her tray. "Thanks Becky, I appreciate it."

The six girls at the table ate their lunch and chatted with each other about what they did over the summer.

"Nina, I love that hair color on you! You look really good as a brunette. But why didn't you let your hair down, show it off a bit?" gushed Alex. Nina tugged her braids slightly and gave her cat-like grin at the Whitney girl.

"Sorry Alex, can't ditch the braids, they're my trademark." The blonde girl in a blue sweater leaned over behind Lisa and tugged one of the trademark braids. "Yeah, if she gets rid of them, then I can't pull them anymore!"

"Ow, Becky!" Nina scowled and batted her hand away. "You know I hate it when you do that!"

Becky cackled and took a bite of her burger. "If you hate when I do it, then why don't you get me back?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I'm not evil like you, thank you."

Lisa giggled at their banter and looked in front of her to her other friend. "Sophie, how was your summer? How was New York?"

Sophie smiled and put down her fork. "It was amazing! When you look past the air pollution and garbage, it's pretty incredible. Lots of stores, lots of people, lots of landmarks. Best vacation ever." she finished, with a dreamy smile.

"Did you see any cute guys?" asked Alex. A collective groan came from the other girls at her question. It wasn't a surprise to hear that question from the fashionista, half of her daily thoughts consisted of boys and how to snag the cutest of the bunch. Sophie shrugged in response and meekly shoveled a forkful of mac and cheese into her mouth.

"Aw shoot." Alex looked past the girl stuffing her face to the redhead sitting next to her. "What about you, Alli? Did you do anything exciting this summer?"

Allison put down her sandwich and looked up in thought. "Um…we went to Washington, D.C…. I won another scholarship… my hamster had babies-"

"You canoodled with Martin." Allison spit her apple juice out, narrowly missing Nina and Lisa.

"Wh-what?!" Becky smirked at the redhead's flustered expression. "Don't lie Allison!" The blonde held up her closed fist.

"Let's see: you have a boyfriend-" One finger extended.

"He's older and can drive-" Two fingers.

"You had three months of free time." Three fingers.

"Which means, you both had ample time to sneak off to some abandoned parking lot and make out and/or shag, what normal couple wouldn't do that, especially during the summer?"

The Taylor girl gave her friend a fierce glare, but it was downsized by the vibrant blush on her cheeks. "We wouldn't, _Rebecca_. We're not constantly on each other like every other hormone-addled teenage couple in this school, we have some dignity. Besides, Martin and I didn't really get to see each other too much this summer, he was busy with work and visiting colleges." Allison shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but Lisa could see the sadness in her best friend's eyes.

Nina pulled her headphones off and gawked at the redhead. "Wait, you and Martin Prince really are together?" Allison nodded. "Holy shit, I thought it was a rumor..." murmured the brunette before shaking her head and putting her headphones back on, bobbing her head to some rock music.

Sophie gave a disapproving glance to the blonde. "Becky, ease off."

Lisa elbowed Becky. "Yeah Beck, leave her be. Besides, speaking of 'canoodling', you were the one who tried to hit on my brother every time you came to my house in hopes of "him asking you out and us getting married and having seven boys, all as handsome and strapping as their father!"."

At her impersonation, the rest of the table, sans Becky, roared with laughter. "Lisa, that was perfect!" "Wow, you're _still_ hung up on Bart? C'mon Becky!"

Becky slammed her fists on the table in annoyance, her face twisted in a scowl and cheeks tinged pink. "Shut up, I have desires and urges that may or may not have to be fulfilled by a certain guy!" Alex looked at the ranting blonde sarcastically.

"Becky sweetie, what desires? You're as much of a virgin as the rest of us." "And how much is that, _Alexandra_?"

Nina piped in without looking up from her iPod. "Super-mega-ultra-can-never-get-out-of-the-friend- zone virgin."

All the girls sighed wistfully and shook their heads before eating the rest of their lunch in silence. Lisa smiled to herself at the amount of banter they had in the span of ten minutes. 'My friends are crazy as heck, but Buddha, I missed them. Speaking of Bart…' She scanned the room, looking for a head of spiky blonde hair, before stopping at a table against the opposite wall where her older brother was sitting with his usual group of friends.

'Wonder how his day is going…'

~•~•~•~

Bart lost count of how many times he had spaced out during his friends' conversation. At this point, they were getting a bit miffed and continued without him, much to his delight. They were talking about how their day went so far and it was the last thing Bart wanted to talk about out loud.

He still couldn't believe his eyes when Jessica Lovejoy, of all people, walked into his classroom that morning. For a few seconds, he thought he had fallen asleep in class and was having a nightmare. Boy, how he wished that were true.

When he tuned back in, he heard an exclamation from Milhouse. "So guys, did you know that Jessica Lovejoy is back?!"

Milk was spit out and jaws were dropped from the other boys at the table.

"Say what?!"

"You're shitting me."

"Van Houten, if I find out you're lying, I'm gonna wail on you!"

Milhouse squeaked at Nelson's threat and sputtered out. "B-but it's true, I saw her! Bart's in the same class as me, he saw her too! Tell them, Bart!" At the mention of his name, the blonde whipped his head around and glared at his best friend.

'Fuck you, Milhouse.'

The blue-haired boy's eyes widened. "Hey, what did I do?" 'Wait, did I say that out loud?'

"Sorry Milhouse, it's just…yeah, I saw her. And that's it." He went back to finishing his first slice of pizza, signaling the end of the conversation, much to the others' dismay.

One of the boys scratched his head in confusion, mussing up his gray hair. "That's it? You didn't talk to her?" Bart shook his head. "No, Richard." The boy sitting next to him rolled his eyes. "Can you blame the guy?" "Oh shut up Lewis, I had to ask."

Nelson frowned at the Simpson boy, wondering why he was in such a pissy mood. "Simpson, why are you getting so bent out of shape over that chick, she's old news!" queried the Muntz boy. "She screwed you over, you got her back, end of story." "Nelson, _I _didn't get her back, Lisa did. God knows I wasn't smart enough then to try and call her out. And no, it's not the end of the story, because I feel like I need to show her just how much trouble she caused me."

Milhouse spoke up with a mouthful of tater tots. "Show her? You mean like prank her or something?" For a few seconds, Bart was tempted. He could feel the hell-raiser in him coming back out. "Actually…"

Out of nowhere, a grape flew over and hit him in the temple. "Ow! Milhouse, what the hell?"

"Bart, you can't do anything crazy, remember what Melbaum said? Make up enough strikes and you'll get put on the 'special watch' list!" Bart gave him a death glare, causing the blue-haired boy to shrink back in fear. "I heard what he said, I'm not deaf. Besides, why the hell would I believe anything that old coot says? He's been out to get me ever since I started ninth grade and put all the science teachers' frogs into his office." The three other boys chuckled at the memory of the event. "He just wants to keep me from graduating, that's all. But he's not gonna scare me with some stupid 'special watch' list!"

Richard decided to interject. "But what if it you get expelled?"

If looks could kill, he would have been dead from the fierce stares of everyone else sans Bart, whose eyes widened in realization. 'Aw man, I forgot about that.'

"Bart, ignore him…Bart?" Milhouse snapped his fingers in front of his best friend's face, but to no avail. "Bart, snap out of it!"

"Way to go, dingus." Nelson reached over and swatted the gray-haired boy on the back of the head.

Lewis glared at his best friend. "You know, we might as well just start calling you Dick now."

"Hey! I didn't mean to make him upset, I just-"

A hushed whisper from Nelson cut off his sentence. "Devil chick, incoming."

All five boys straightened up in their seats and looked down at their trays, feigning interest, as said 'devil chick' passed their table. Bart kept his eyes down as she walked by, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with her. Once she was gone, they all let out a sigh of relief, glad that nothing happened.

But they didn't notice the longing glance that Jessica gave to the Simpson boy.

~•~•~•~

Sighing heavily, she twirled some spaghetti onto her fork, failing to get more than a couple of noodles on. Jessica gazed around the cafeteria at all the animated and chattering students, happy to be surrounded by their friends once again. Her jaw tightened as she clenched her fingers, nearly snapping the plastic fork in half.

She really wasn't sure whether to envy them or hate them. Of course, that evil part of her brain was saying to hate them all, hate them for giving her nasty looks wherever she stepped, hate them for whispering things behind her back, hate them for being people. But she held back her urges by taking a deep breath.

Jessica had made a promise to herself and her parents to start her first day off right, but the positive and timid attitude she had come in with had nearly dwindled from all of the teasing and ostracizing she was facing.

And to make matters worse, the boy that she was eager to see couldn't even look in her direction. When she came into class, he looked away once she said her name out loud. When class ended, he grabbed his things as fast as he could and ran like a bat out of hell. When she walked past his table, not only him, but all of his friends tensed up and stared at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

All so Bart wouldn't have to look at her.

Jessica lifted the spaghetti to her mouth with shaking hands, making a mental note to visit the nurse after lunch so she could take her medication.

~•~•~•~

_RIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGG._

Lisa's head shot up as the sound of the bell filled the classroom. "Okay everyone, don't forget to get your internet consent forms filled out, we're starting work tomorrow!"

At the teacher's dismissal, kids sprang out of their seats and headed out to the hallway, chatting excitedly as they made their ways to their respective lockers. Lisa picked up her notebook and pencil and made her way out, only to be stopped by the teacher. "Lisa, wait!" She turned towards the woman. "I'm sorry to keep you from leaving, but I just wanted to say how I'm honored to have you in my class. I heard from some of my fellow English teachers at the middle and elementary school that you're a pretty good writer."

Lisa smiled bashfully and shook her head. "Thank you Mrs. Delvecchio, but I think I'm decent enough, not quite on Edgar Allen Poe's level." "Haha, yes, no one can quite reach his level! Have a good day, dear." "You too!"

She walked out of the room and into the hall, making her way towards her locker a few doors down. When she reached, she quickly put in her combination and packed her bag with whatever she needed. 'Thank Buddha that they're giving us the same lockers as last year.'

"Hey Lisa!"

As she closed her locker, Lisa heard a voice call out to her. Turning around, she spotted Allison and Alex standing. "Hey guys, ready to head home?" Alex shrugged. "Actually, that's why we're here. My mom just called and said I have an appointment in an hour, so she's picking me up." Lisa frowned.

"Oh…what about you, Allison?"

The redhead gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry Lise, Mr. Beighlie wants Group A Band to stay behind and help him set up the chorus room for tomorrow's practice."

Lisa pouted at them. "Aw guys, that means I'll be all alone on the bus." "Sorry! Don't worry, tomorrow we'll be here for sure."

"_Alex Whitney, please report to the lobby for dismissal."_

Alex glanced at the PA system. "Ooh, my mom's here already? Gosh, you'd think she was going for her own appointment." She gave both girls a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Bye girls, DMY!"

"DMY back to you, Whitney!"

Alex walked down the stairs, the sound of her heels against the concrete mixing in with the student traffic. Once she was out of sight, Allison checked her watch. "I should probably head to the chorus room early so we can finish faster. See ya, Lise." "Bye Alli!" Lisa hugged her friend, waving goodbye as she headed down the same stairs.

The Simpson girl made her way down the hall and to the other set of stairs, walking down until she reached the back entrance hall, where students stood waiting for their buses to arrive. Lisa opted to stand outside with some of the other kids, taking in the sunshine and fresh air. She decided to lean against the wall next to the door, predicting that the buses wouldn't get here for another five minutes.

'Springfield School District does not know the meaning of on time, apparently.'

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young man walking through the door and out to one of the cars in the visitors' section of the parking lot. Assuming it was a teacher, Lisa paid no mind.

Once he reached his car, he set down the box he was carrying and pulled a cowboy hat out of it, fitting it back onto his light blond hair. At that point, Lisa pushed herself off the wall and stood upright. 'Luke!' Lisa's brain kicked into overdrive as four familiar girls by the name of Jealousy, Honesty, Conscience, and Libido conversed in her head.

**Jealousy: **_It's him! I can't believe he came to my school of all places! Who does he think he is?!_

**Honesty: **_Well, it was for the whole school, not you._

**Jealousy:** _So?! Ugh, I still remember how badly he dumped me, I felt like an idiot._

**Conscience: **_Remember girls, we deserved that. We should be put that behind us and take the lesson learned. If anything, to be polite, we should go up to him and at least say hi._

**Libido: **_Yeah, say hi and then make out with him! Ooh, he got even cuter, I didn't think it was possible! Purrow!_

**Conscience: **_Quiet libido!_

**Libido: **_Just you wait 'til my next birthday Conscience, I'm gonna raise hell like never before! Binge and purge, baby!_

**Conscience: **_Oh for goodness sake. Just go say hi to him!_

At the shout from the biggest girl in her mind, Lisa was brought back to reality.

'Should I really go say hi? I mean, it would be nice to catch up a little bit, even if we might never see each other again…' Looking up, she saw that he had packed his stuff away and was preparing to leave. 'Oh Buddha, give me strength.'

Lisa ran down the steps and over to his car. "U-um, excuse me…" To her chagrin, her voice came out shakily. Somehow he managed to hear and turned around, flashing a pearly grin at the blonde.

"Hello there missy, can I help you?"

Lisa couldn't help the slight flutter in her stomach and the warmth in her cheeks as she looked at the handsome man. "Hi. I, um, was there at the assembly today...Mr. Stetson, right?" Luke chuckled and tilted the brim of his hat. "You can call me Luke, darling, Mr. Stetson is my pop's name."

She smiled slightly, gaining a bit more confidence. 'He hasn't noticed me yet…not sure if that's good or bad.'

"Well, I thought you gave a great presentation, Luke…but I have another reason for being here." Lisa closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them back up. "Do you…remember me?"

The older man blinked repeatedly before frowning in thought, taking in her appearance, looking for anything familiar. After a few minutes, he shook his head. "I'm sorry hon, but could you tell me your name? It might help me."

"It's…Lisa Simpson."

As soon as she mentioned her name, a look of shock and recognition came over Luke's face. "Lisa? From years ago at the ranch?" She nodded. "Wow…how are you doing?"

"Um, I'm…peachy. How about you?"

"Good, good…"

"How…how's your sister?" He blinked surprise at the mention of his sister. "Oh, she, uh, she graduated high school last year…she went down to North Carolina for college."

"That's neat."

The Simpson girl would have hid in her shell if she had one. Her confidence had ebbed away and was now replaced by unease and awkwardness. Luckily, she heard the loud engines of the school buses pulling up. 'Oh yes!'

"Um…" She motioned to the buses. "I have to go now…"

"Ah, yeah, I should get going too…" Luke scratched the back of his neck nervously. "So, um, bye Lisa."

"B-bye Luke." 'Way to stutter, Lisa Marie.'

They waved to each other and got into their separate vehicles. Lisa found an empty seat in the front and plopped onto it, resting her head against the warm window, groaning in embarrassment at the bumbling reunion.

~•~•~•~

A rickety yellow bus came to a stop in front of the Simpsons' residence. Lisa ran out of its door as she yelled goodbye to Otto. She walked up to the front door and opened it, knowing that her mom kept the door unlocked until nighttime.

She called out to her mom. "I'm home!"

"In the kitchen, dear!"

The blonde walked through the living room and into the kitchen, spotting her mom frosting cupcakes. Marge looked up and smiled warmly at her daughter. "Hello honey, how was school today?"

"Not bad, but the teachers are already trying to shove job opportunities on us. We had an assembly about it today."

"Well that was generous of them to do. You might roll your eyes at it now, but these opportunities will benefit you in the future!" Lisa chuckled. "I know mom, I know. You made cupcakes?"

Marge answered as she refilled the pastry bag with blue icing. "Yep, your sister asked for them last night and I promised that they'd be ready by the time she came home from school. By the way, where's your brother?"

Lisa shrugged. "Probably went to hang out with Milhouse or Nelson, didn't see him after lunch."

"Hrm, I really wish he would give me a notice if he's not going to come straight home."

The young girl patted her shoulder gently. "Relax mom, he's almost 18, I'm sure he can handle himself." Marge sighed, not quite convinced. "I guess you're right…do you want me to make a snack for you, honey?"

"No thanks mom. I'm actually gonna go take a nap, okay? Oh, and I have permission slips you need to sign."

Marge nodded, not looking up from the cupcakes she was working on. "Alright, leave them on the coffee table and I'll get them. I'll wake you up when dinner's ready!"

Lisa headed out of the kitchen and towards the stairs, climbing each step until she reached her room. Throwing her bag to the floor, she closed her door. To her delight, Snowball was curled up at the foot of her bed. "Hey girl, did you miss me?" The cat looked up and purred in delight, jumping off and trotting over to her owner, rubbing against her leg affectionately.

Lisa giggled and sat on her bed before curling up on her side, patting the space next to her. "Come here, let's take a little nap." Snowball complied and curled back into her ball next to the Simpson girl.

She closed her eyes and relaxed her body, preparing for sleep. 'One day down, one hundred and seventy-nine more to go.'

~•~•~•~

**Sorry for the slight delay, I've been working on and off with this chapter, as well as doing some other personal projects. Hope you enjoyed, I ended up writing 4,000+ words! n.n**

**Your reviews feed my motivation! x**


	8. Breaking News

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only Katrina, Audrina, Tomas, and Rodney.**

**I accept constructive criticism. c:**

~•~•~•~

**Three weeks later…**

_*sounds of shuffling feet*_

_A whisper. "3…2…1…go." _

…

_*lights brighten to reveal Kent Brockman sitting at his desk*_

"_Good evening folks, my name is Kent Brockman. We have breaking news for you, exclusive from the Springfield Police Department. It appears that a convict by the name of Jack Crowley has escaped Springfield Penitentiary late last night."_

"_Investigations show that he escaped through a man-made tunnel that was carved with a metal spoon. After he exited the tunnel, he ran to Donny's Discount Gas where he held up a customer and stole their car, successfully driving away. The carjacking was reported immediately after and connected to the case early this morning."_

"_Police advise the public to stay vigilant, as they cite Crowley as a dangerous criminal who may be armed. Keep your doors locked and your windows closed, do not walk alone, and call the police if you have clues to his whereabouts. Here is his picture."_

_*a box to the side depicts the mugshot of a man in his 30s with dark brown hair and an aloof expression*_

"_If you see this man, do not, I repeat, DO NOT approach him. Phone the police immediately and stay away. Good night."_

_*light dims as __Law and Order: Elevator Inspectors Unit__ comes back on*_

~•~•~•~

Unfortunately for the Simpsons, they were eating out and enjoying themselves, unable to hear the sudden news.

~•~•~•~

**Oh shit, Jack's back! If nobody remembers, he was in 'Pokey Mom'. He was that prison guy that Marge took in because he was a talented artist. Skinner asked him to paint a mural for the school and yelled at him when he used his own idea. So Jack had to follow Skinner's design and repaint it, much to the displeasure of everybody else. AND SKINNER STILL YELLED AT HIM. ._.***

**So Jack got pissed and burnt the mural down, causing a fire, and lied to Marge that he didn't do it. She tried to help him escape, but he ended up being an idiot and burning Skinner's car in front of everyone, laughing like a freakin' psycho. Long story short, he got arrested and was never seen again…until now.**

**Reviews are always appreciated! x**


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